pat on the back
IdiomsExample Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
But executives keep lowering the bar for themselves to boost their chances of getting a pat on the back.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 14, 2026
Trump gave him a pat on the back.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 9, 2026
Reassurance, a well-deserved pat on the back, best wishes for good health and one piece of your favorite candy.
From MarketWatch ● Jan. 29, 2026
"I give myself a little pat on the back for that."
From Barron's ● Jan. 24, 2026
I must look really pitiful, because even Mouse Girl reaches out to give me a swift pat on the back.
From "Born Behind Bars" by Padma Venkatraman
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
